What happens when life removes the physical evidence of who you thought you were?

In this episode of 33 Conversations, Michael Abney sits down with Monica Leigh Rodriquez to explore what it means to lose everything and still find a deeper sense of self. After the Eaton fire destroyed Monica’s home, she was forced into a painful but clarifying process of grief, rebuilding, and identity transformation.

Together, they talk about loss, self-worth, creative work, sociology, rebuilding a business, and the surprising clarity that can emerge after trauma.

This episode is for anyone moving through grief, transition, reinvention, or the slow work of rebuilding a life that feels more aligned than the one that came before.

If you’ve ever asked yourself who you are without the things that used to define you, this conversation is worth your time.